NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Interpace Diagnostics said today that its ThyraMir test for diagnosing thyroid cancer has received coverage from UnitedHealthcare.
With this coverage decision, ThyraMir is now covered for around 250 million patients nationwide, the company said.
The ThyraMir test measures expression of 10 microRNAs to help assess whether a patient's thyroid nodules are cancerous or benign in cases where traditional cytopathology results are indeterminate. The test is intended for use as a follow up to Interpace's ThyGenX test, which uses next-generation sequencing to detect genetic alterations linked to papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas. According to Interpace, the ThyGenX test offers high positive predictive value, making it an effective rule-in test, while ThyraMir offers high negative predictive value, making it useful as a rule-out test.
The company said that currently more than 80 percent of patients undergoing ThyGenX tests are reflexed to the ThyraMir test. United also covers ThyGenX.
Interpace launched ThyraMir in April 2015 and has since conducted around 5,000 tests for roughly 400 physicians and hospitals.
The company inked a distribution deal for both tests in Israel in January.